Tag Archives: kits

by | July 10, 2014 · 11:03 pm

The Dwarf Problem

If you have done enough research about dwarf rabbits, you will understand that it is all about the combination of a normal gene and a dwarf gene. If you are a breeder of dwarf rabbits, you might have produced “peanuts” throughout the years. I stumbled across a video about Stress Management tonight and for those of you who might be interested, you can watch it here:

I thought it was a very interesting talk and what made it more interesting is when she spoke about the stress hormone called Oxytocin. There was this invisible light bulb that suddenly brightened up on top of my head and went DING!

It made perfect sense when you put the pieces together. Just let me explain the pieces and you should be able to put the puzzle together after my explanation. Throughout the years I understood that breeding a true dwarf (half normal and half dwarf) to a true dwarf (half normal and half dwarf) will often produce a FULL dwarf (half dwarf and half dwarf). Some call the the deadly double dwarf genes a.k.a. peanut. Peanuts usually suckle but their growth are extremely stunted and to a point they just fade/waste away.

The reason that peanuts are extremely stunted is because of damaged or abnormal pituitary gland. You may want to read up on pituitary dwarfism and its effect on the affected organism.

The speaker Kelly mentioned that Oxytocin is produced by the pituitary gland. Over the years I have also seen does with retained kits and other breeding problems. Today, I have reasons to believe that the dwarf gene could be the cause of these problems. Perhaps the pituitary gland is not efficient enough to produce enough Oxytocin for the doe to go into labor thus causing retained kits?

I hope by now you should be able to understand the relation between the desire for dwarfism and the effect of the gene that may cause damage to the most crucial organ that produces a very important stress hormone. And the difficult challenge for dwarf rabbit breeders is to ensure rabbits used for breeding have healthy pituitary gland and I believe some are already successful since they have no problem breeding a true dwarf to a true dwarf while keeping a healthy birth rate. Another way to increase the chances would be to breed a true dwarf buck to a normal doe which has been the desired breeding practice.

I found it amazing that the video has nothing to do with rabbits but still I am able to come to the conclusion in terms of rabbit breeding. That shows how much of my brain is made up of rabbits…

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by | July 5, 2014 · 9:11 pm

Make Your Own Bunny Mansion

Something came to mind this afternoon but I cannot seemed to recall what it was. I guess memory is failing me at the moment. I thought it was quite interesting to share.

Had an exhausting day building a few bunny mansions for the spoilt “BunBrats” and thought it will be good to share with those who are interested in building one. The problem with most pet cages in the market is that they are not built specifically for rabbits. Perhaps I should say that the problem lies in the rabbits – they like to relief themselves at a certain corner of the cage. The cages in the market do not offer protection against spills when bunnies lift their rear end towards the edge of the cages and “shooting” pee outwards. In order to solve this problem, most people use pee guards to be fixed around the internal edges of the cages but that further reduce the space in the cages. Instead, I prefer to build a “giant” pee guard that surrounds the cage itself. I have tried this method before and found that it is effective. Not sure why but today I was inspired to revamp the “bunny space” and wanted to give the bunnies larger roaming space. I found a large play pen with a bottom tray and realize that it will fit the vision I have on mind.

Here is a list of materials that you will need to build a bunny mansion:

1) General Clear Sealant

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2) Chloroplast boards

3) Duct Tape

4) Large Cage

5) Soft Litter Bedding

6) Toys & Wooden House

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7) Tools – Scissors/Measuring Tape/Long Ruler

8) Cable ties

Firstly, I had to combine two large chloroplast boards to be able to accommodate the cage dimension. In order to combine two or more boards together, I have to ensure that there will not be any leakage and this is why we need general sealant to be applied in between the two boards. I started off combining the two boards by sticking them together with the duct tape on one side, turn the boards around, applied the sealant and continue covering the gap with the duct tape. I left the sealant to dry while I clean cages.

After the sealant is dry, I placed the cage tray to measure the excessed board that I can fold to make a larger “tray”.

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Once I have done that, I cut and fold the excessive board and bind together with cable ties.

I place the cage on top of the chloroplast tray, added bedding, place the feeding bowls and water bottles in before releasing the bunnies into their new mansion.

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I believe I made a few bunnies really happy today.

20140705_173619Actually, now I remember what I wanted to share. It is pertaining to the word “motion”. Not passing motion as in “pooping” but when things seemed impossible, the most important is to take action. By taking action it will get things started. The reason why I had this thought was because, often times, we tend to put things on hold and procrastinate. And it feels harder to start the engine again when we finally find the time. No matter how small the effort, we should just take small steps.

I started off this morning with a little idea and I ended up spending 5 hours working for the bunnies. The first step was getting the cage and the rest as they say, is history – LOL!

 

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by | June 8, 2014 · 2:51 pm

Eugenics versus Biodiversity

Though I never thought I had to write any disclaimer as the opening of my post but I had to because of how “sensitive” whatever I write on my own space had become. In fact, expressing my thoughts on my own blog is something I really enjoy and I hope my readers do too. So before you read on, please know that this post entry is written for all the like minded people who take life and the rabbit hobby a little less seriously. It is not for weak hearts or one with extra sensitive emotional sensory.

If you have done any science experiment, you should know that there are a few sections on an experiment journal namely – objective/introduction, materials & methods, hypothesis (what you think will happen), result and a conclusion. Raising and breeding rabbits for the last seven year is nothing short of a long term experiment. There has been so many lessons and I continue to learn.

If I would to write a science journal in its simplest form, it will look a little similar to the following:

1. Objective/Introduction

To produce a rabbit according to the “Standard of Perfection”.

2. Materials & Methods

Materials:

a) Constant supply of Rabbit Feed

b) Vegetables & Fruits

c) Hay

d) Water

e) Two (2) rabbits – a buck & a doe

Methods:

Feed, Water, Breed and Repeat

3. Hypothesis

A herd of rabbits that look exactly the same and in essence resembles the physical traits as describe in writing, the Standard of Perfection.

4. Results

a) None of the rabbit look like the other

b) When two rabbits look almost similar, they behave differently

c) Some are born dead, some peanuts, some runts and some normal

d) Some live longer while some shorter lives

e) Some “perfect” while some have impairments

f) Various colours

and the list goes on…

5. Conclusion

The Standard of Perfection is nothing but perfect.

And what follows in this blog entry can be taken as my explanation of the Conclusion.

To truly understand this blog post, one should read on the topic of Eugenics and Biodiversity. In short Eugenics is a belief and practice that supposedly will improve the genetic composition of a particular species. It has been practised on humans and more largely on other species. I believe Eugenics gave birth to words like “Selective Breeding” and “Cloning”. Dolly the sheep was the outcome of cloning which I believe was the fruit of the experiment to produce an exact carbon copy of a sheep. The hope for cloning is to produce a living being that is “perfect” and can be free from all diseases. The entire practice of Eugenics is to produce something so strong and perfect that will make the world “perfect”. But take a look at what the world is still what it is today. We still have AIDS, cancer and all the viruses mutating into different strains – H1N1 is one of them.

Esther Inglis-Arkell has written something that made perfect sense in her article Why Eugenics Will Always Fail.

The fact is more than obvious. This world is made for diversity and no two living beings are the same. I have grown up being in the midst of identical twins throughout my life and to be honest, even though they are identical twins, I can easily recognize each one. They are just different!

It is a “no brainer” that a living being is made up of so many different categories of traits – physical, psychological, emotional, spiritual, social, intellectual and environmental. Some of these are relevant to animals while others are not but it still boils down to diversity.

And while nature is teeming and bursting with diversity, the question is whether or not we are closing the doors and limiting nature by slapping it with the “Standard of Perfection”?

Are we kidding ourselves with an idea or ideal?

Or are we shaping our minds to accept the unrealistic expectations?

Or we are simply following blindly without reasoning our actions?

Or it all boils down to wanting to belong, to fulfil our longing for affirmation and seeking to fit in the crowd?

Keep asking questions and seeking answers because that is how we learn and grow in life…

In all seriousness though, I hope someone can help teach me to recognize the “rat” gene in certain people so that I will be able to identify those with the more desirable and lovable “hamster” gene. 😛

AmberStand

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by | June 7, 2014 · 1:22 am

Right of first refusal

There is a universal etiquette or code of conduct practised by rabbit enthusiasts. It is the courtesy to give the rightful breeder the right of first refusal. Let’s say that breeder A buys a rabbit from breeder B, breeder A will ask breeder B if he or she is interested to have the rabbit back should breeder A no longer wants to keep it. Many breeders including myself appreciate such a gesture as it is a sign of respect for a fellow breeder. Should breeder B declines the offer, then it is up to breeder A to decide his next course of action.

I was recently given the right of first refusal and I was over the moon not only because it was the first in my 7 years in the hobby that this has happened but also the rabbits were returned to me in very good condition. It felt like “finally, there is hope for humanity!”. I am just so delighted and it truly inspires me knowing that people do appreciate good values.

One of the rabbits returned to me was Houdini. I can never forget this little girl and the reason for her name is self explanatory. She is the little bunny that will perform disappearing acts and I had to spend my mornings looking for her when she was 14 days young. She has grown quite a bit now and I do not have to worry if she will escape from her cage anymore.

houdini

 

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by | June 5, 2014 · 10:02 pm

Love Your Soul

I have to admit that in many occasions, I have been tempted to give up on a lot of things in my life just to accommodate the busy schedule. I believe it is a natural reaction to simplify life or to “de-clutter” when we lose clarity in life. Giving up something that you are passionate about can be very difficult. Passion is what feeds the soul and to give up only means that there will be a dent on your soul.

We can sure be overwhelmed by other commitments and priorities but just like any other feelings, what you are feeling it is temporary and will go away after some time.

As a dear friend puts it, “never make rash decisions that you will regret later and that will ultimately hurt your soul”.

So, whenever you are feeling bogged down and need some revitalizing, take a step back, relax and breath in all the cuteness your pet have to offer…

Luv Me

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by | May 4, 2014 · 10:56 pm

More Than Meets The Eye

The statement “More Than Meets The Eye” is made famous by the Transformers cartoon which made its debut in the 1980s. Vehicles turning into robots seemed to have captivated children and adults throughout the world. I believe it all boils down to expectations. No one expected the possibility of a little yellow Volkswagen Beetle to turn into a cute robot and that brings me to the subject of today’s post – expectations.

There are a few occasions throughout the 7 years being in the hobby that I have encountered people who have obtained rabbits from me after being captivated by the photos of cute and cuddly rabbits that I have posted on this weblog. Some of the rabbits lived up to their full lifespan in their new homes but other did not. One reason stood out among the many reasons that these rabbits were returned to me and it was that “he/she is nothing like how you describe rabbits in your blog”.

I guess we all have expectations of our pets. Our judgement may sometimes be clouded by cuteness just like how it was when we first started dating our wife/husband. We can only see all the goodness until we start living together after marriage. When the breeder go through all the necessities, all the eager owners have in their minds is to bring bunny home and miss out on all the important points – that they need to be litter trained, given food that helps reduce odours and the correct way of handling their new pet. It is not surprising that after a couple of days that I should receive distress calls telling me that bunny is urinating all over the place and hates being handled.

Expectations.

A rabbit will never behave like how you want a dog or cat to behave. If you want to have an animal behaving like a dog or a cat, get a dog or a cat but I must say that rabbits do have their own personalities that differs from individual to individual. You just have to “tune in” and get in sync or be vigilant by observing their body language to gauge what he/she is trying to tell you. Rabbits definitely communicate very differently from your regular dog and cat.

While we are at this subject, I cannot help but to also ponder on the question of sustainability. I recently read a post in one of the facebook groups asking why there are many rabbits being put up for adoption – whether it is because of the Easter season or otherwise. In this region I believe that rabbits for adoption is not seasonal as compared to the western countries. When we see that there are rabbits up for adoption, we will always question the reason behind them. I can understand the many reasons and some may make sense while others not. I have come to the conclusion that as long as there is a pet industry, we will never be able to escape from the issues of abandoned and unwanted animals. Crude, but that is reality and it takes everyone to just be the responsible person and do what is right if animal welfare is what we are after.

Expectations.

As pet people, first and foremost our intention and expectation from our pets is companionship. We may want to fulfil our sense of responsibility over another living being. Perhaps keeping something alive is treated as a personal achievement and that gives us joy to see our beloved pet thrive in our hands. Maybe and just maybe, we have the desire to go through the different phases or levels of difficulties in raising animals as pets. For example, Level One is keeping some fishes, Level Two – a hamster, Level Three – a rabbit and slowly graduating to let say – a Tiger?

Whatever the reason, I believe it is all about the expectations we have from our pets.

As for me, I have always been an animal lover and rabbits have always been a part of my life. I find great joy to know that they are happy under my care and they grow and remain beautiful until their last breath. Most of the time, it is the vow I make for each and every rabbit that I own. It is a simple vow that they will live a good life whether under my care or someone else’s I have chosen for them. For those that I have decided to import from the USA, I always make a silent vow and wish in my heart before they are being sent over to me. It is only fair to treat them well because these rabbits go through the long journey and they will have to endure the change of climate which is the toughest element that they will have to get used to.

Through my observation, the rabbit hobby can be quite monotonous in general and having friends can help motivate and keep us interested. Most friends that I know were able to stay in the hobby for a very long time because they spend a lot of time competing in shows and also being involved in helping out in the clubs. More often than not, they enjoy the company of friends.

Very often you will find yourself looking for other activities to complement or supplement the hobby. My advice based on experience is that you should not deviate too far from the focus on your pet as it can get out of hand sometimes. For example, most of us like to purchase a nice skin or cover for our mobile phones and if not careful, you will end up with many that are redundant and not being used.

Besides the usual bunny chores, there are only two other activities that I enjoy doing that is related back to the rabbits – photographing the rabbits and writing on this weblog. I am really happy to have many photographs of my rabbits throughout the year. I had previously made plans to consolidate and produce a photobook for this weblog’s 5th year Anniversary but it did not happen.

This year being the 7th year in the hobby, I finally had the time to order a photobook to commemorate and celebrate the best rabbits that I have owned throughout the years and also friends I have made in the hobby.

PhotoBook

 

May you also find a reason to stay in the hobby.

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by | April 5, 2014 · 3:16 pm

Pitch Black

Isn’t he cute?

Introducing…
Isn't he cute?

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by | March 29, 2014 · 10:40 pm

Charmed Kinda Life

Not to mention name, a friend of mine recently gave up rabbit breeding. Like many former breeders I know, she expressed her sadness of “losing” fellow friends in the hobby. I believe that when other priorities catch up with life, we tend to give up some less important things just to strike a balance. We only have 24 hours and spending 2 hours a day just to do bunny chores can be a little overwhelming and meaningless. That is usually the problem when keeping large quantity of rabbits while holding a day job and at the same time juggling with many other things in life.

In all honesty, you will find yourself surrounded by like-minded people whenever and in whatever hobby you immersed yourself in. Your circle of friends are usually found through discussions of the same interest and while seeking help with the problems you face in the hobby.

Being social animals ourselves, we are constantly seeking for affirmation and a sense of belonging. To a certain extent, your life becomes “charmed” and because you are so hooked on the sense of belonging, the thought of giving up a hobby can be quite daunting. To give up a hobby is fine but the fact that you will drift away from the friendships you have established will usually be the reason for reconsideration.

Someone I hold dear and close to my heart once told me, “You do not need rabbits to belong” and rightly so makes me feel that I belong in a circle of great people with or without rabbits. It is totally up to me to decide whether I should drift away or not. In whatever you do, you tend to find very sincere friends and people who are there for you without the expectation of anything in return. They push the boundaries of mutual benefit especially now when the world needs love more than ever.

Somehow we are so geared towards scepticism and are always on the guard so not to be taken advantage of. Due to all the negativity in the world today, we have no faith in one another and are suspicious of each other’s agenda so to speak.

I have met many people in this hobby and more often than not, have found myself being taken advantage of. Out of the many, I have also found many gems along the way.

Whenever a gem appears, I get charmed all over again and that makes the hobby worthwhile…

Baby Charm

Baby Charm

I would like to take this opportunity to inform that Golden Pines’ Alfalfa Hay (Premium Quality) is now available at TinyCritterz.com. Please check out our free shipping (Peninsula Malaysia only) packages!

GPAlfalfa

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by | March 13, 2014 · 12:39 am

Animal Rights Activists Need To Rethink

There is a little “activist” in each animal lover. We all tend to get angry and feel compelled to react to any incident of animal abuse. But at the same time, we tend to forget that we might have helped or contributed directly or indirectly to the cause of these abuses.

For example, we all get excited whenever there is an pet expo/fair. I have friends who totally boycott such events because live stock are sold openly and most of the time there are no regulations as to how the animals are caged. Since I have always like and intrigued by animals, I used to visit these expos and fairs until recently due to my busy schedule.

With better clarity of the situation now, I can safely conclude that there are many sources and causes to animal welfare problems. Abuses, neglect, abandonment and many other problems take root from overpopulation and animals being treated as commodity.

And up until today, I am still trying to figure out how to strike a balance and whether or not I am indirectly or directly causing and supporting people that are causing the same problems we are trying to avoid.

What if I told you that the event that you are promoting is organized by the same people who are causing the problems you are trying so hard to render your assistance? You may be spending most of your time volunteering to re-home abandoned dogs but at the same time you are encouraging people buying from unscrupulous sources.

I do not know about hardcore animal activists. I do not think they own any pets but if they do, I wonder where they get their pets in the first place.

By you re-homing abandon animals, do you think that your action may encourage unethical breeders to breed even more since there are demands?

I do not know about you but I am very careful what I promote these days be it on this weblog or on my facebook account as I do not want to waste my resources “helping” someone else create more problems.

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Image

A little charm emerged

charm

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by | March 10, 2014 · 11:22 pm